Coming to the Rescue
by Kristen3
Summary: Set after "The 1,000th Show." When Daphne has a psychic vision about Niles' whereabouts, she races to the Monorail station in hopes of finding him. One-shot. Mostly fluff.


"I told you," Daphne said. "Yes, I am an alien, but not the kind from outer space. I'm from England. Or couldn't you tell by me accent?"

"Oh," said one of the city workers. "So you're not, like, going to meet a spaceship in Mexico?"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "No! It's a _cruise_ ship!"

"Oh!" It suddenly became clear that this woman, while eccentric, was not a danger to the city of Seattle.

"Now that we've got that straightened out, can I please go? I've got a terrible feeling that a very dear friend is in trouble." Not bothering to wait for an answer, Daphne left City Hall as quickly as possible.

Somehow, Daphne knew she was having one of her psychic feelings. It was telling her that the younger Dr. Crane was in trouble. Both he and his brother had missed the rally at the Space Needle. That was strange, since Dr. Crane (the elder) was never one to miss a celebration in his honor. Despite his "protests," it was quite obvious he enjoyed the spectacle.

But his younger brother was different. He'd been uncomfortable with the spotlight on his famous sibling. Daphne had seen that. She knew all too well what it was like to feel overlooked in one's own family. Perhaps that was why she felt such a bond with him. Whatever the reason, she knew he needed her now more than ever. The image she saw in her head wasn't exactly clear, but she kept seeing him all alone, even though he was in a crowded place. He seemed to be pacing, anxious. She tried to focus, hoping for any clue as to where he was. All she saw was the same vision of him worriedly pacing back and forth. But then she paid attention to what was behind him. Someone was selling tickets. To what, though? Then it hit her – the Monorail that ran right to the Space Needle! He was stranded at the station!

Her heart pounding, she drove to the station. She knew this was crazy, like something out of a romance novel. But she didn't care. Her visions weren't always reliable, but somehow, she knew that this one was. She parked the car and cautiously went into the building. Just as she'd seen, people were busily going back and forth to their destinations, barely even noticing her.

It seemed that she was mistaken. Once again, she'd let her daydreams get the best of her. But then she saw someone in a corner, pacing back and forth. He was anxiously biting his nails. Even from far away, Daphne knew it was him. Pushing her way through the crowd, she walked over to him. "Dr. Crane?"

Niles was so lost in thought, he almost didn't hear his name. But he looked up and saw her standing there. "Daphne? How did you know I was here?"

"I had a vision. I would've been here sooner if the Mayor's office could understand the difference between an alien from outer space and one from another country!"

"What?"

"Never mind," Daphne said, dismissively. "It doesn't matter. Come on, let's go home." Instinctively, she slipped her hand into his.

The gesture startled Niles for a moment. He looked at her, suddenly realizing how stranded he'd been, and still would be, had she not shown up. On impulse, he hugged her. "Thank you."

Daphne pulled out of the embrace. "No thanks necessary, Dr. Crane. I couldn't bear the thought of you being stuck here all night all by yourself."

"Well, still, it's sweet that you care. So, how was the rally?" As they walked back to her car, Niles was amazed at how natural all of this felt.

"It was all right," Daphne answered. "Your father made a speech. So did Roz, and Kenny. But your brother never showed up. I'm not sure why. You'd think he'd be the first one there!" She laughed.

Niles could never get enough of the sound of her laugh. "Well, Frasier and I had a rather trying day. He decided he needed new shoes, which became a production, considering what a perfectionist he is. And then we got mugged, which left us with no money. But I thought we'd be all right, because we actually were able to sneak onto the Monorail. Then there was an electrical problem, and we were forced to turn back. I guess Frasier must have gone to look for a ride, because I went inside to call for a cab with our last quarter, and I came back to find him gone. I didn't know how I was going to get home."

"Well, you've got nothing to worry about now. We'll be back at your brother's in no time." Daphne smiled as she unlocked her car.

"It really was very kind of you to come all the way down here. You came to my rescue."

Daphne shrugged, feeling embarrassed. "It was the right thing to do. Your father and brother would've eventually missed you." She gave him a teasing glance.

"Things haven't been so great between Frasier and me lately. I admit, I was a bit jealous of all the attention he's been getting. It was childish, I know."

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself. It isn't easy, watching everyone make such a fuss over someone else. It was the same with me brothers growing up. Every time I did well in school, no one cared. All I ever heard about was Simon scoring the winning goal in a soccer match, or one of the other boys getting into a fight and knocking some poor boy's teeth out. I had to leave the country just to get away from the lot of them."

"Well, now you're here with us," Niles said. "Aren't we lucky?"

Daphne looked over at him, smiling as she turned the ignition in her car. "Yes, Dr. Crane. We certainly are."

 **The End**


End file.
